The Boys' and Girls' Plutarch Being Parts of The "Lives" of Plutarch Edited for Boys and Girls With Introductions

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forefathers taught the rest of Greece to sow corn, and how to usesprings of water, and to kindle fire, yet Cimon, by keeping openhouse for his fellow-citizens, and giving travelers liberty to eatthe fruits which the several seasons produced in his land, seemedto restore to the world that community of goods, which mythologysays existed in the reign of Saturn. Those who object to him thathe did this to be popular, and gain the applause of the vulgar,are confuted by the constant tenor of the rest of his actions,which all ended to uphold the interests of the nobility and theSpartan policy, of which he gave instances, when, together withAristides, he opposed Themistocles, who was advancing theauthority of the people beyond its just limits, and resistedEphialtes, who to please the multitude, was for abolishing thejurisdiction of the court of Areopagus. And when all the men ofhis time, except Aristides and Ephialtes, enriched themselves outof the public money, he still kept his hands clean and untainted,and to his last day never acted or spoke for his own private gainor emolument. They tell us that Rhoesaces, a Persian, who hadtraitorously revolted from the king his master, fled to Athens,and there, being harassed by sycophants who were still accusinghim to the people, he applied himself to Cimon for redress, and togain his favor, laid down in his doorway two cups, the one full ofgold, and the other of silver Darics. Cimon smiled and asked himwhether he wished to have Cimon's hired service or his friendship.He replied, his friendship. "If so," said he, "take away thesepieces, for being your friend, when I shall have occasion forthem, I will send and ask for them."

The allies of the Athenians began now to be weary of war andmilitary service, willing to have repose, and to look after theirhusbandry and traffic. For they saw their enemies driven out ofthe country, and did not fear any new vexations from them. Theystill paid the tax they were assessed at, but did not send men andgalleys, as they had done before. This the other Athenian generalswished to constrain them to, and by judicial proceedings againstdefaulters, and penalties which they inflicted on them, made thegovernment uneasy, and even odious. But Cimon practiced a contrarymethod; he forced no man to go that was not willing, but of thosethat desired to be excused from service he took money and vesselsunmanned, and let them yield to the temptation of staying at home,to attend to their private business. Thus they lost their militaryhabits, and luxury and their own folly quickly changed them intounwarlike husbandmen and traders; while Cimon, continuallyembarking large numbers of Athenians on board his galleys,thoroughly disciplined them in his expeditions, and ere long madethem the lords of their own paymasters. The allies, whoseindolence maintained them, while they thus went sailing abouteverywhere, and incessantly bearing arms and acquiring skill,began to fear and flatter them, and found themselves after a whileallies no longer, but unwittingly become tributaries and slaves.

Nor did any man ever do more than Cimon did to humble the pride ofthe Persian king. He was not content with ridding Greece of him;but following close at his heels, before the barbarians could takebreath and recover themselves, what with his devastations, and hisforcible reduction of some places and the revolts and voluntaryaccession of others, in the end, from Ionia to Pamphylia, all Asiawas clear of Persian soldiers. Word being brought him that theroyal commanders were lying in wait upon the coast of Pamphylia,with a numerous land army, and a large fleet, he determined tomake the whole sea on this side the Chelidonian islands soformidable to them that they should never dare to show themselvesin it; and setting off from Cnidos and the Triopian headland, withtwo hundred galleys, which had been originally built withparticular care by Themistocles, for speed and rapid evolutions,and to which he now gave greater width and roomier decks along thesides to move to and fro upon, so as to allow a great number offull-armed soldiers to take part in the engagements and fight fromthem, he shaped his course first of all against the town ofPhaselis, which, though inhabited by Greeks, yet would not quitthe interests of Persia, but denied his galleys entrance intotheir port. Upon this he wasted the country, and drew up his armyto their very walls; but the soldiers of Chios, who were thenserving under him, being ancient friends to the Phaselites,endeavoring to propitiate the general in their behalf, at the sametime shot arrows into the town, to which were fastened lettersconveying intelligence. At length he concluded peace with them,upon the conditions that they should pay down ten talents, andfollow him against the barbarians. The Persian admiral lay waitingfor him with the whole fleet at the mouth of the river Eurymedon,with no design to fight, but expecting a reinforcement of eightyPhoenician ships on their way from Cyprus. Cimon, aware of this,put out to sea, resolved, if they would not fight a battlewillingly, to force them to it. The barbarians, seeing this,retired within the mouth of the river to avoid being attacked; butwhen they saw the Athenians come upon them, notwithstanding theirretreat, they met them with six hundred ships, as Phanodemusrelates, but according to Ephorus, with three hundred and fifty.However, they did nothing worthy such mighty forces, butimmediately turned the prows of their galleys toward the shore,where those that came first threw themselves upon the land, andfled to their army drawn up thereabout, while the rest perishedwith their vessels, or were taken. By this, one may guess at theirnumber, for though a great many escaped out of the fight, and agreat many others were sunk, yet two hundred galleys were taken bythe Athenians.

When their land army drew toward the seaside, Cimon was insuspense whether he should venture to try and force his way onshore; as he should thus expose his Greeks, wearied with slaughterin the first engagement, to the swords of the barbarians, who wereall fresh men, and many times their number. But seeing his menresolute, and flushed with victory, he bade them land, though theywere not yet cool from their first battle. As soon as they touchedground, they set up a shout and ran upon the enemy, who stood firmand sustained the first shock with great courage, so that thefight was a hard one, and some of the principal men of theAthenians in rank and courage were slain. At length, though withmuch ado, they routed the barbarians, and killing some, tookothers prisoners, and plundered all their tents and pavilions,which were full of rich spoil. Cimon, liked a skilled athlete atthe games, having in one day carried off two victories, wherein hesurpassed that of Salamis by sea, and that of Plataea by land, wasencouraged to try for yet another success. News being brought thatthe Phoenician succors, in number eighty sail, had come in sightat Hydrum, he set off with all speed to find them, while they asyet had not received any certain account of the larger fleet, andwere in doubt what to think; so that thus surprised, they lost alltheir vessels, and most of their men with them. This success ofCimon so daunted the king of Persia, that he presently made thatcelebrated peace, by which he engaged that his armies should comeno nearer the Grecian sea than the length of a horse's course; andthat none of his galleys or vessels of war should appear betweenthe Cyanean and Chelidonian isles. In the collection whichCraterus made of the public acts of the people, there is a draftof this treaty given.

The people of Athens raised so much money from the spoils of thiswar, which were publicly sold, that, besides other expenses, andraising the south wall of the citadel, they laid the foundation ofthe long walls, not, indeed, finished till at a later time, whichwere called the Legs. And the place where they built them beingsoft and marshy ground, they were forced to sink great weights ofstone and rubble to secure the foundation, and did all this out ofthe money Cimon supplied them with.

It was he, likewise, who first embellished the upper city withthose fine and ornamental places of exercise and resort, whichthey afterward so much frequented and delighted in. He set themarket-place with plane trees; and the Academy, which was before abare, dry, and dirty spot, he converted into a well-watered grove,with shady alleys to walk in, and open courses for races.

When the Persians who had made themselves masters of theChersonese, so far from quitting it, called in the people of theinterior of Thrace to help them against Cimon, whom they despisedfor the smallness of his forces, he set upon them with only fourgalleys, and took thirteen of theirs; and having driven out thePersians, and subdued the Thracians, he made the hole Chersonesethe property of Athens. Next, he attacked the people of Thasos,who had revolted from the Athenians; and, having defeated them ina fight at sea, where he captured thirty-three of their vessels,he took their own by siege, and acquired for the Athenians all themines of gold on the opposite coast, and the territory dependenton Thasos.

This opened him a fair passage into Macedon, so that he might, itwas thought, have acquired a good portion of that country, andbecause he neglected the opportunity, he was suspected ofcorruption, and of having been bribed off by king Alexander. So,by the combination of his adversaries, he was accused of beingfalse to his country. In his defence he told the judges, that hehad always shown himself in his public life the friend, not, likeother men, of rich Ionians and Thessalonians, to be courted, andto receive presents, but of the Lacedaemonians; for as he admired,so he wished to imitate, the plainness of their habits, theirtemperance, and simplicity of living, which he preferred to anysort of riches; but that he always had been, and still was proudto enrich his country with the spoils of her enemies. Periclesproved the mildest of his prosecutors, and rose up but once allthe while, almost as a matter of form, to plead against him. Cimonwas acquitted.

In his public life after this, he continued, while at home, tocontrol the common people, who would have trampled upon thenobility, and drawn all the power and sovereignty to themselves.But when he afterwards was sent out to war, the multitude brokeloose, as it were, and overthrew all the ancient laws and customsthey had hitherto observed, and, chiefly at the instigation ofEphialtes, withdrew the cognizance of almost all causes from theAreopagus; so that all jurisdiction now being transferred to them,the government was reduced to a perfect democracy, and this by thehelp of Pericles, who was already powerful, and had pronounced infavor of the common people.

He was indeed a favorer of the Lacedaemonians even from his youth,and gave the names of Lacedaemonius and Eleus to his two sons,twins.

Cimon was countenanced by the Lacedaemonians in opposition toThemistocles, whom they disliked; and while he was yet very young,they endeavored to raise and increase his credit in Athens. Thisthe Athenians perceived at first with pleasure, and the favor theLacedaemonians showed him was in various ways advantageous to themand their affairs; as at that time they were just rising to power,and were occupied in winning the allies to their side. So theyseemed not at all offended with the honor and kindness showed toCimon, who then had the chief management of all the affairs ofGreece, and was acceptable to the Lacedaemonians, and courteous tothe allies. But afterwards the Athenians, grown more powerful,when they saw Cimon so entirely devoted to the Lacedaemonians,began to be angry, for he would always in speeches prefer them tothe Athenians, and upon every occasion, when he would reprimandthem for a fault, or incite them to emulation, he would exclaim,"The Lacedaemonians would not do thus." This raised thediscontent, and got him in some degree the hatred of the citizens;but that which ministered chiefly to the accusation against himfell out upon the following occasion.

In the fourth year of the reign of Archidamus, the son ofZeuxidamus, king of Sparta, there happened in the country ofLacedaemon, the greatest earthquake that was known in the memoryof ma; the earth opened into chasms, and the mountain Taygetus wasso shaken that some of the rocky points of it fell down, andexcept five houses, all the town of Sparta was shattered topieces. They say that a little before any motion was perceived, asthe young men and the boys just grown up were exercisingthemselves together in the middle of the portico, a hare, of asudden, started out just by them, which the young men, though allnaked and daubed with oil, ran after for sport. No sooner werethey gone from the place, than the gymnasium fell down upon theboys who had stayed behind, and killed them all. Their tomb is tothis day called Sismatias.* Archidamus, by the present danger madeapprehensive of what might follow, and seeing the citizens intentupon removing the most valuable of their goods out of theirhouses, commanded an alarm to be sounded, as if an enemy werecoming upon them, in order that they should collect about him in abody, with arms. It was this alone that saved Sparta at that time,for the Helots had come together from the country about, withdesign of surprising the Spartans, and overpowering those whom theearthquake had spared. But finding them armed and well prepared,they retired into the towns and openly made war with them, gainingover a number of the Laconians of the country districts; while atthe same time the Messenians, also, made an attack upon theSpartans, who therefore despatched Periclidas to Athens to solicitsuccor, of whom Aristophanes says in mockery that he came and

In a red jacket, at the altars seated,With a white face, for men and arms entreated.

This Ephialtes opposed, protesting that they ought not to raise upor assist a city that was a rival to Athens; but that being down,it were best to keep her so, and let the pride and arrogance ofSparta be trodden under. But Cimon, as Critias says, preferringthe safety of Lacedaemon to the aggrandizement of his own country,so persuaded the people, that he soon marched out with a largearmy to their relief. Ion records, also, the most successfulexpression which he used to move the Athenians. "They ought not tosuffer Greece to be lamed, nor their own city to be deprived ofher yoke fellow."

In his return from aiding the Lacedaemonians, he passed with hisarmy through the territory of Corinth; whereupon Lachartusreproached him for bringing his army into the country, withoutfirst asking leave of the people. For he that knocks at anotherman's door ought not to enter the house till the master gives himleave. "But you, Corinthians, O Lachartus," said Cimon, "did notknock at the gates of the Cleonaeans and Megarians, but broke themdown and entered by force, thinking that all places should be opento the stronger." And having thus rallied the Corinthian, hepassed on with his army. Some time after this, the Lacedaemonianssent a second time to desire succor of the Athenians against theMessenians and Helots, who had seized upon Ithome. But when theycame, fearing their boldness and gallantry, of all that came totheir assistance, they sent them only back, alleging that theywere designing innovations. The Athenians returned home, enragedat this usage, and vented their anger upon all those who werefavorers of the Lacedaemonians; and seizing some slight occasion,they banished Cimon for ten years, which is the time prescribed tothose that are banished by the ostracism. In the mean time, theLacedaemonians, on their return after freeing Delphi from thePhocians, encamped their army at Tanagra, whither the Athenianspresently marched with design to fight them.

Cimon also, came thither armed and ranged himself among those ofhis own tribe, which was the Oeneis, desirous of fighting with therest against the Spartans; but the council of five hundred beinginformed of this, and frightened at it, his adversaries crying outthat he would disorder the army, and bring the Lacedaemonians toAthens, commanded the officers not to receive him. Wherefore Cimonleft the army, conjuring Euthippus, the Anaphylstian, and the restof his companions, who were most suspected as favoring theLacedaemonians, to behave themselves bravely against theirenemies, and by their actions make their innocence evident totheir countrymen. These, being in all a hundred, took the arms ofCimon, and followed his advice; and making a body by themselves,fought so desperately with the enemy, that they were all cut off,leaving the Athenians deep regret for the loss of such brave men,and repentance for having so unjustly suspected them. Accordingly,they did not long retain their severity toward Cimon, partly uponremembrance of his former services, and partly, perhaps, inducedby the juncture of the times. For being defeated at Tanagra in agreat battle, and fearing the Peloponnesians would come upon themat the opening of the spring, they recalled Cimon by a decree, ofwhich Pericles himself was author. So reasonable were men'sresentments in those times, and so moderate their anger, that italways gave way to the public good. Even ambition, the leastgovernable of all human passions, could then yield to thenecessities of the State.

Cimon, as soon as he returned, put an end to the war, andreconciled the two cities. Peace thus established, seeing theAthenians impatient of being idle, and eager for the honor andaggrandizement of war, lest they should set upon the Greeksthemselves, or with so many ships cruising about the isles andPeloponnesus, they should give occasions for intestine wars, orcomplaints of their allies against them, he equipped two hundredgalleys, with design to make an attempt upon Egypt and Cyprus;purposing, by this means, to accustom the Athenians to fightagainst the barbarians, and enrich themselves honestly bydespoiling those who were the natural enemies to Greece. But whenall things were prepared, and the army ready to embark, Cimon hadthis dream. It seemed to him that there was a furious female dogbarking at him, and, mixed with the barking, a kind of human voiceuttered these words:

Come on, for thou shalt shortly beA pleasure to my whelps and me.

This dream was hard to interpret, yet Astyphilus of Posidonia, aman skilled in divinations, and intimate with Cimon, told him thathis death was presaged by this vision, which he thus explained. Adog is enemy to him he barks at; and one is always most a pleasureto one's enemies, when one is dead; the mixture of human voicewith barking signifies the Medes, for the army of the Medes ismixed up of Greeks and barbarians. After this dream, as he wassacrificing to Bacchus, and the priest cutting up the victim, anumber of ants, taking up the congealed particles of the blood,laid them about Cimon's great toes. This was not observed for agood while, but at the very time when Cimon spied it, the priestcame and showed him the liver of the sacrifice imperfect, wantingthat part of it called the head. But he could not then recede fromthe enterprise, so he set sail. Sixty of his ships he sent towardEgypt; with the rest he went and fought the king of Persia'sfleet, composed of Phoenician and Cilician galleys, recovered allthe cities thereabout, and threatened Egypt; designing no lessthan the entire ruin of the Persian empire. And the more becausehe was informed that Themistocles was in great repute among thebarbarians, having promised the king to lead his army, whenever heshould make war upon Greece. But Themistocles, it is said,abandoning all hopes of compassing his designs, very much out ofthe despair of overcoming the valor and good-fortune of Cimon,died a voluntary death. Cimon, intent on great designs, which hewas now to enter upon, keeping his navy about the isle of Cyprus,sent messengers to consult the oracle of Jupiter Ammon upon somesecret matter. For it is not known about what they were sent, andthe god would give them no answer, but commanded them to returnagain, for Cimon was already with him. Hearing this, they returnedto sea, and as soon as they came to the Grecian army, which wasthen about Egypt, they understood that Cimon was dead; andcomputing the time of the oracle, they found that his death hadbeen signified, he being then already with the gods.

He died, some say, of sickness, while besieging Citium, in Cyprus;according to others, of a wound he received in a skirmish with thebarbarians. When he perceived that he was going to die, hecommanded those under his charge to return, and by no means to letthe news of his death be known by the way; this they did with suchsecrecy that they all came home safe, and neither their enemiesnor the allies knew what had happened. Thus, as Phanodemusrelates, the Grecian army was, as it were, conducted by Cimonthirty days after he was dead. But after his death there was notone commander among the Greeks that did any thing considerableagainst the barbarians, and instead of uniting against theircommon enemies, the popular leaders and partisans of war animatedthem against one another to such a degree, that none couldinterpose their good offices to reconcile them. And while, bytheir mutual discord, they ruined the power of Greece, they gavethe Persians time to recover breath, and repair all their losses.It is true, indeed, Agesilaus carried the arms of Greece intoAsia, but it was a long time afterwards; there were some briefappearances of a war against the king's lieutenants in themaritime provinces, but they all quickly vanished; before he couldperform any thing of moment, he was recalled by fresh civildissensions and disturbances at home. So that he was forced toleave the Persian king's officers to impose what tribute theypleased on the Greek cities in Asia, the confederates and alliesof the Lacedaemonians. Whereas, in the time of Cimon, not so muchas a letter-carrier, or a single horseman, was ever seen to comewithin four hundred furlongs of the sea.

The monuments, called Cimonian to this day, in Athens, show thathis remains were conveyed home, yet the inhabitants of the cityCitium pay particular honor to a certain tomb which they call thetomb of Cimon, according to Nausicrates the rhetorician, whostates that in a time of famine, when the crops of their land allfailed, they sent to the oracle, which commanded them not toforget Cimon, but give him the honors of a superior being.

POMPEY

The people of Rome appear, from the first, to have been affectedtowards Pompey, much in the same manner as Prometheus, inAeschylus, was towards Hercules, when after that hero haddelivered him from his chains, he says--

The sire I hated, but the son I loved.

For never did the Romans entertain a stronger and more rancoroushatred for any general than for Strabo, the father of Pompey.While he lived, indeed, they were afraid of his abilities as asoldier, for he had great talents for war; but upon his death,which happened by a stroke of lightning, they dragged his corpsefrom the bier, on the way to the funeral pile, and treated it withthe greatest indignity. On the other hand, no man ever experiencedfrom the same Romans an attachment more early begun, moredisinterested in all the stages of his prosperity, or moreconstant and faithful in the decline of his fortune, than Pompey.

The sole cause of their aversion to the father was his insatiableavarice; but there were many causes of their affection for theson; his temperate way of living, his application to martialexercises, his eloquent and persuasive address, his strict honorand fidelity, and the easiness of access to him upon alloccasions; for no man was ever less importunate in asking favors,or more gracious in conferring them. When he gave, it was withoutarrogance; and when he received, it was with dignity.

In his youth he had a very engaging countenance, which spoke forhim before he opened his lips. Yet that grace of aspect was notattended with dignity, and amidst his youthful bloom there was avenerable and princely air. His hair naturally curled a littlebefore; which, together with the shining moisture and quick turnof his eye, produced a stronger likeness to Alexander the Greatthan that which appeared in the statues of that prince.

As to the simplicity of his diet, there is a remarkable saying ofhis upon record. In a great illness, when his appetite was almostgone, the physician ordered him a thrush. His servants, uponinquiry, found there was not one to be had for money, for theseason was passed. They were informed, however, that Lucullus hadthem all the year in his menageries. This being reported toPompey, he said, "Does Pompey's life depend upon the luxury ofLucullus?" Then, without any regard to the physician, he atesomething that was easy to be had.

After the death of Cinna, Carbo, a tyrant still more savage, tookthe reins of government. It was not long, however, before Syllareturned to Italy, to the great satisfaction of most of theRomans, who, in their present unhappy circumstances, thought thechange of their master no small advantage.

Pompey, at the age of twenty-three, without a commission from anysuperior authority, erected himself into a general; and havingplaced his tribunal in the most public part of the great city ofAuximum, enlisted soldiers and appointed tribunes, centurions, andother officers, according to the established custom. He did thesame in all the neighboring cities; for the partisans of Carboretired and gave place to him; and the rest were glad to rangethemselves under his banners. So that in a little time he raisedthree complete legions, and furnished himself with provisions,beasts of burden, carriages; in short, with the whole apparatus ofwar.

In this form he moved towards Sylla, not by hasty marches, nor asif he wanted to conceal himself; for he stopped by the way toharass the enemy; and attempted to draw off from Carbo all theparts of Italy through which he passed. At last, three generals ofthe opposite party, Carinna, Caelius, and Brutus, came against himall at once, not in front, or in one body, but they hemmed him inwith their three armies, in hopes to demolish him entirely.

Pompey, far from being terrified, assembled all his forces, andcharged the army of Brutus at the head of his cavalry. The Gaulishhorse on the enemy's side sustained the first shock; but Pompeyattacked the foremost of them, who was a man of prodigiousstrength, and brought him down with a push of his spear. The restimmediately fled and threw the infantry into such disorder thatthe whole was soon put to flight. This produced so great a quarrelamong the three generals, that they parted and took separateroutes. In consequence of which, the cities, concluding that thefears of the enemy had made them part, adopted the interest ofPompey.

Not long after, Scipio the consul advanced to engage him. Butbefore the infantry were near enough to discharge their lances,Scipio's soldiers saluted those of Pompey, and came over to them.Scipio, therefore, was forced to fly. At last, Carbo sent a largebody of cavalry against Pompey, near the river Arsis. He gave themso warm a reception, that they were soon broken, and in thepursuit drove them upon impracticable ground; so that finding itimpossible to escape, they surrendered themselves with their armsand horses.

Sylla had not yet been informed of these transactions; but uponthe first news of Pompey's being engaged with so many adversaries,and such respectable generals, he dreaded the consequence, andmarched with all expedition to his assistance. Pompey, havingintelligence of his approach, ordered his officers to see that thetroops were armed and drawn up in such a manner as to make thehandsomest and most gallant appearance before the commander-in-chief. For he expected great honours from him, and he obtainedgreater. Sylla no sooner saw Pompey advancing to meet him, with anarmy in excellent condition, both as to age and size of the men,and the spirits which success had given them, than he alighted;and upon being saluted of course by Pompey as Imperator, hereturned his salutation with the same title: though no oneimagined that he would have honoured a young man not yet admittedinto the senate with a title for which he was contending with theScipios and the Marii. The rest of his behavior was as respectableas that in the first interview. He used to rise up and uncover hishead, whenever Pompey came to him; which he was rarely observed todo for any other, though he had a number of persons of distinctionabout him.

While Pompey was in Sicily, he received a decree of the senate,and letters from Sylla, in which he was commanded to cross over toAfrica and to carry on the war with the utmost vigor againstDomitius, who had assembled a much more powerful army than thatwhich Marius carried not long before from Africa to Italy, when hemade himself master of Rome, and from a fugitive became a tyrant.Pompey soon finished his preparation for this expedition; andleaving the command in Sicily to Memmius, his sister's husband, heset sail with one hundred and twenty armed vessels, and eighthundred store-ships, laden with provisions, arms, money, andmachines of war. Part of his fleet landed at Utica, and part atCarthage: immediately after which seven thousand of the enemy cameover to him; and he had brought with him six legions complete.

On his arrival he met with a whimsical adventure. Some of hissoldiers, it seems, found a treasure, and rest of the troopsconcluded that the place was full of money, which theCarthaginians had hid there in some time of public distress.Pompey, therefore could make no use of them for several days, asthey were searching for treasures; and he had nothing to do butwalk about and amuse himself with the sight of so many thousandsdigging and turning up the ground. At last, they gave up thepoint, and bade him lead them wherever be pleased, for they weresufficiently punished for their folly.

Domitius advanced to meet him, and put his troops in order ofbattle. There happened to be a channel between them, craggy anddifficult to pass. Moreover, in the morning it began to rain, andthe wind blew violently; insomuch that Domitius, not imaginingthere would be any action that day, ordered his army to retire.But Pompey looked upon this as his opportunity, and he passed thedefile with the utmost expedition. The enemy stood upon theirdefence, but it was in a disorderly and tumultuous manner, and theresistance they made was neither general nor uniform. Besides thewind and rain beat in their faces. The storm incommoded theRomans, too, for they could not well distinguish each other. Nay,Pompey himself was in danger of being killed by a soldier, whoasked him the pass-word, and did not receive a speedy answer. Atlength, however, he routed the enemy with great slaughter; notabove three thousand of them escaping out of twenty thousand. Thesoldiers then saluted Pompey, Imperator, but he said he would notaccept that title while the enemy's camp stood untouched;therefore, if they chose to confer such an honor upon him, theymust first make themselves masters of the intrenchments.

At that instant they advanced with great fury against them. Pompeyfought without his helmet, for fear of such an accident as he hadjust escaped. The camp was taken, and Domitius slain; inconsequence of which most of the cities immediately submitted, andrest were taken by assault. He took Iarbas, one of theconfederates of Domitius, prisoner, and bestowed his crown onHiempsal. Advancing with the same tide of fortune, and while hisarmy had all the spirits inspired by success, he entered Numidia,in which he continued his march for several days, and subdued allthat came in his way. Thus he revived the terror of the Romanname, which the barbarians had begun to disregard. Nay, he chosenot to leave the savage beasts in the deserts without giving thema specimen of the Roman valor and success. Accordingly he spent afew days in hunting lions and elephants. The whole time he passedin Africa, they tell us, was not above forty days; in which hedefeated the enemy, reduced the whole country, and brought theaffairs of its kings under proper regulations, though he was onlyin his twenty-fourth year.

Upon his return to Utica, he received letters from Sylla, in whichhe was ordered to send home the rest of his army, and to waitthere with one legion only for a successor. This gave him a greatdeal of uneasiness, which he kept to himself, but the armyexpressed their indignation aloud; insomuch that when he entreatedthem to return to Italy, they launched out into abusive termsagainst Sylla, and declared they would never abandon Pompey, orsuffer him to trust a tyrant. At first, he endeavored to pacifythem with mild representations; and when he found those had noeffect, he descended from the tribunal, and retired to his tent intears. However, they went and took him thence, and paced him againupon the tribunal, where they spent a great part of the day; theyinsisting that he should stay and keep the command, and he inpersuading them to obey Sylla's orders, and to form no newfaction. At last, seeing no end of their clamors and importunity,he assured them, with an oath, that he would kill himself, if theyattempted to force him. And even this hardly brought them todesist.

The first news that Sylla heard was, that Pompey had revolted;upon which he said to his friends, "Then it is my fate to have tocontend with boys in my old age." This he said, because Marius,who was very young, had brought him into so much trouble anddanger. But when he received true information of the affair, andobserved that all the people flocked out to receive Pompey toconduct him home with marks of great regard, he resolved to exceedthem in his regards, if possible. He, therefore, hastened to meethim, and embracing him in the most affectionate manner, salutedhim aloud by the surname of Magnus, or The Great; at the same timehe ordered all about him to give him the same appellation. Otherssay, it was given him by the whole army in Africa, but did notgenerally obtain till it was authorized by Sylla. It is certain,he was the last to take it himself, and he did not make use of ittill a long time after, when he was sent into Spain with thedignity of pro-consul against Sertorius. Then he began to writehimself in his letters in all his edicts, Pompey the Great; forthe world was accustomed to the name, and it was no longerinvidious. In this respect we may justly admire the wisdom of theancient Romans, who bestowed on their great men such honorablenames and titles, not only for military achievements, but for thegreat qualities and arts which adorn civil life.

When Pompey arrived at Rome, he demanded a triumph, in which hewas opposed by Sylla. The latter alleged that the laws did notallow that honor to any person who was not either consul orpraetor. Hence it was that the first Scipio, when he returnedvictorious from greater wars and conflicts with the Carthaginiansin Spain, did not demand a triumph; for he was neither consul norpraetor. He added, that if Pompey, who was yet little better thana beardless youth, and who was not of age to be admitted into thesenate, should enter the city in triumph, it would bring an odiumboth upon the dictator's power, and those honors of his friend.These arguments Sylla insisted on, to show him that he would notallow of his triumph, and that, in case he persisted, he wouldchastise his obstinacy.

Pompey, not in the least intimidated, bade him consider, that moreworshiped the rising than the setting sun; intimating that hispower was increasing, and Sylla's upon the decline. Sylla did nothear well what he said, but perceiving by the looks and gesturesof the company that they were struck with the expression, he askedwhat it was. When he was told it, he admired the spirit of Pompeyand cried, "Let him triumph! Let him triumph!"

There is no doubt that he might then have been easily admitted asenator, if he had desired it; but his ambition was to pursuehonor in a more uncommon track. It would have been nothingstrange, if Pompey had been a senator before the age fixed for it;but it was a very extraordinary instance of honor to lead up atriumph before he was a senator. And it contributed not a littleto gain him the affections of the multitude; the people weredelighted to see him, after his triumph, class with the equestrianorder.

The power of the pirates had its foundation in Cilicia. Theirprogress was the more dangerous, because at first it was littletaken notice of. In the Mithridatic war they assumed newconfidence and courage, on account of some services they hadrendered the king. After this, the Romans being engaged in civilwars at the very gates of their capital, the sea was leftunguarded, and the pirates by degrees attempted higher things;they not only attacked ships, but islands, and maritime towns.Many persons, distinguished for their wealth, their birth, andtheir capacity, embarked with them, and assisted in thedepredations, as if their employment had been worthy the ambitionof men of honor. They had in various places arsenals, ports, andwatch-towers, all strongly fortified. Their fleets were not onlyextremely well manned, supplied with skillful pilots, and fittedfor their business by their lightness and celerity; but there wasa parade of vanity about them more mortifying than their strength,in gilded sterns, purpose canopies, and plated oars; as if theytook a pride and triumphed in their villainy. Music resounded, anddrunken revels were exhibited on every coast. Here generals weremade prisoners; there the cities the pirates had taken were payingtheir ransom; all to the great disgrace of the Roman power. Thenumber of their galleys amounted to one thousand, and the citiesthey were masters of to four hundred.

Temples which had stood inviolably sacred till that time, theyplundered. They ruined the temple of Apollo at Claros, that of theCabiri in Samothrace, of Ceres at Hermione, of Aesculapius atEpidaurus, those of Neptune in the Isthmus, at Taenarus and inCalauria, those of Apollo at Actium and in the isle of Leucas,those of Juno at Samos, Argos, and the promontory of Lacinium.

They likewise offered strange sacrifices; those of Olympus I mean;and they celebrated certain secret mysteries, among which those ofMithra continue to this day, being originally instituted by them.They not only insulted the Romans at sea but infested the greatroads, and plundered the villas near the coast; they carried offSextilius and Bellinus, two praetors, in their purple robes, whichall their servants and lictors. They seized the daughter ofAntony, a man who had been honored with a triumph, as she wasgoing to her country house, and he was forced to pay a largeransom for her.

But the most contemptible circumstance of all was, that when theyhad taken a prisoner, and he cried out that he was a Roman, andtold them his name, they pretended to be struck with terror, smotetheir thighs, and fell upon their knees to ask him pardon. Thepoor man, seeing them thus humble themselves before him, thoughtthem in earnest, and said he would forgive them; for some were soofficious as to put on his shoes, and others to help him on withhis gown, that his quality might no more be mistaken. When theyhad carried on this farce, and enjoyed it for some time, they leta ladder down into the sea, and bade him go in peace; and if herefused to do it, they pushed him off the deck, and drowned him.

Their power extended over the whole Tuscan sea, so that the Romansfound their trade and navigation entirely cut off. The consequenceof which was, that their markets were not supplied, and they hadreason to apprehend a famine. This at last led them to send Pompeyto clear the sea of pirates. Gabinius, one of Pompey's intimatefriends, proposed the decree, which created him not admiral, butmonarch, and invested him with absolute power. The decree gave himthe empire of the sea as far as the Pillars of Hercules, and ofthe land for 400 furlongs from the coasts. There were few parts ofthe Roman empire which this commission did not take in; and themost considerable of the barbarous nations, and most powerfulkings, were moreover comprehended in it. Besides this he wasempowered to choose out of the senators fifteen lieutenants, toact under him in such districts, and with such authority as heshould appoint. He was to take from the quaestors, and otherpublic receivers, what money he pleased, and equip a fleet of twohundred sail. The number of marine forces, of mariners and rowers,was left entirely to his discretion.

When this decree was read in the assembly, the people received itwith inconceivable pleasure. The most respectable part of thesenate saw, indeed, that such an absolute and unlimited power wasabove envy, but they considered it as a real object of fear. Theytherefore all, except Caesar, opposed its passing into a law. Hewas for it, not out of regard for Pompey, but to insinuate himselfinto the good graces of the people, which he had long beencourting. The rest were very severe in the expressions againstPompey; and one of the consuls venturing to say, "If he imitatesRomulus, he will not escape his fate," was in danger of beingpulled in pieces by the populace.

It is true, when Catulus rose up to speak against the law, out ofreverence for his person they listened to him with greatattention. After he had freely given Pompey the honor that was hisdue, and said much in his praise, he advised them to spare him,and not to expose such a man to so many dangers; "for where willyou find another," said he, "if you lose him?" They answered withone voice, "Yourself." Finding his arguments had no effect, heretired. Then Roscius mounted the rostrum, but not a man wouldgive ear to him. However he made signs to them with his fingers,that they should not appoint Pompey alone, but give him acolleague. Incensed at the proposal, they set up such a shout,that a crow, which was flying over the forum, was stunned with theforce of it, and fell down among the crowd. Hence we may conclude,that when birds fall on such occasions, it is not because the airis so divided with the shock as to leave a vacuum, but ratherbecause the sound strikes them like a blow, when it ascends withforce, and produces so violent an agitation.

The assembly broke up that day without coming to any resolution.When the day came that they were to give their suffrages, Pompeyretired into the country; and, on receiving information that thedecree was passed, he returned to the city by night, to preventthe envy which the multitudes of people coming to meet him wouldhave excited. Next morning at break of day he made his appearance,and attended the sacrifice. After which, he summoned an assembly,and obtained a grant of almost as much more as the first decreehad given him. He was empowered to fit out 500 galleys, and toraise an army of 120,000 foot, and 5,000 horse. Twenty-foursenators were selected, who had all been generals or praetors, andwere appointed his lieutenants; and he had two quaestors givenhim. As the price of provisions fell immediately, the people weregreatly pleased, and it gave them occasion to say that the veryname of Pompey had terminated the war.

However, in pursuance of his charge, he divided the wholeMediterranean into thirteen parts, appointing a lieutenant foreach, and assigning him a squadron. By thus stationing his fleetin all quarters, he enclosed the pirates as it were in a net, tookgreat numbers of them, and brought them into harbor. Such of theirvessels as had dispersed and made off in time, or could escape thegeneral chase, retired to Cilicia, like so many bees into a hive.Against these he proposed to go himself, with sixty of his bestgalleys; but first he resolved to clear the Tuscan sea, and thecoasts of Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily, of all piraticaladventurers; which he effected in forty days, by his ownindefatigable endeavors and those of his lieutenants. But, as theconsul Piso was indulging his malignity at home, in wasting hisstores and discharging his seamen, he sent his fleet round toBrundusium, and went himself by land through Tuscany to Rome.

As soon as the people were informed of his approach, they went incrowds to receive him, in the same manner as they had done a fewdays before, to conduct him on his way. Their extraordinary joywas owing to the speed with which he had executed his commission,so far beyond all expectation, and to the superabundant plentywhich reigned in the markets. For this reason Piso was in dangerof being deposed from the consulship, and Gabinius had a decreeready drawn up for that purpose; but Pompey would not suffer himto propose it. On the contrary, his speech to the people was fullof candor and moderation; and when he had provided such things ashe wanted, he went to Brundusium, and put to sea again. Though hewas straightened for time, and in his haste sailed by many citieswithout calling, yet he stopped at Athens. He entered the town andsacrificed to the gods; after which he addressed the people, andthen prepared to reembark immediately. As he went out of the gatehe observed two inscriptions, each comprised in one line.

That within the gate was:

But know thyself a man, and be a god.

That without:

We wish'd, we saw; we loved, and we adored.

Some of the pirates, who yet traversed the seas, made theirsubmission; and as he treated them in a humane manner, when he hadthem and their ships in his power, others entertained hope ofmercy, and avoiding the other officers, surrendered themselves toPompey, together with their wives and children. He spared themall; and it was principally by their means that he found out andtook a number who were guilty of unpardonable crimes, andtherefore had concealed themselves.

Still, however, there remained a great number, and indeed the mostpowerful part of these corsairs, who sent their families,treasures, and all useless hands, into castles and fortified townsupon Mount Taurus. Then they manned their ships, and waited forPompey at Coracesium, in Cilicia. A battle ensued, and the pirateswere defeated; after which they retired into the fort. But theyhad not been long besieged before they capitulated, andsurrendered themselves, together with the cities and islands whichthey had conquered and fortified, and which by their works as wellas situation were almost impregnable. Thus the war was finished,and whole force of the pirates destroyed, within three months atthe farthest.

Besides the other vessels, Pompey took ninety ships with beaks ofbrass; and the prisoners amounted to 20,000. He did not choose toput them to death, and at the same time he thought it wrong tosuffer them to disperse, because they were not only numerous, butwarlike and necessitous, and therefore would probably knit againand give future trouble. He reflected, that man by nature isneither a savage nor an unsocial creature; and when he becomes so,it is by vices contrary to nature; yet even then he may behumanized by changing his place of abode, and accustoming him to anew manner of life; as beasts that are naturally wild put offtheir fierceness when they are kept in a domestic way. For thisreason he determined to remove the pirates to a great distancefrom the sea, and bring them to taste the sweets of civil life, byliving in cities, and by the culture of the ground. He placed someof them in the little towns of Cilicia, which were almostdesolate, and which received them with pleasure, because at thesame time he gave them an additional proportion of lands. Herepaired the city of Soli, which had lately been dismantled anddeprived of its inhabitants by Tigranes, king of Armenia, andpeopled it with a number of these corsairs. The remainder, whichwas a considerable body, he planted in Dyma, a city of Achaia,which, though it had a large and fruitful territory, was in wantof inhabitants.

Pompey, having secured the sea from Phoenicia to the Bosphorus,marched in quest of Mithridates, who had an army of 30,000 footand 2,000 horse, but durst not stand an engagement. That princewas in possession of a strong and secure post upon a mountain,which he quitted upon Pompey's approach, because it was destituteof water. Pompey encamped in the same place; and conjecturing,from the nature of the plants and the crevices in the mountain,that springs might be found, he ordered a number of wells to bedug, and the camp was in a short time plentifully supplied withwater. He was not a little surprised that this did not occur toMithridates during the whole time of his encampment there.

After this, Pompey followed him to his new camp, and drew a lineof circumvallation round him. Mithridates stood a siege of forty-five days, after which he found means to steal off with his besttroops, having first killed all the sick, and such as could be ofno service. Pompey overtook him near the Euphrates, and encampedover against him; but fearing he might pass the river unperceived,he drew out his troops at midnight. At that time Mithridates issaid to have had a dream prefigurative of what was to befall him.He thought he was upon the Pontic Sea, sailing with a favorablewind, and in sight of the Bosphorus; so that he felicitated hisfriends in the ship, like a man perfectly safe, and already inharbor. But suddenly he beheld himself in the most destitutecondition, swimming upon a piece of wreck. While he was in all theagitation which this dream produced, his friends awaked him, andtold him that Pompey was at hand. He was now under a necessity offighting for his camp, and his generals drew up the forces withall possible expedition.

Pompey, seeing them prepared, was loth to risk a battle in thedark. He thought it sufficient to surround them, so as to preventtheir flight; and what inclined him still more to wait fordaylight, was the consideration that his troops were much betterthan the enemy's. However, the oldest of his officers entreatedhim to proceed immediately to the attack, and at last prevailed.It was not indeed very dark; for the moon, though near hersetting, gave light enough to distinguish objects. But it was agreat disadvantage to the king's troops, that the moon was so low,and on the backs of the Romans; because she projected theirshadows so far before them, that the enemy could form no justestimate of the distances, but thinking them at hand, threw theirjavelins before they could do the least execution.

The Romans, perceiving their mistake, advanced to the charge withall the alarm of voices. The enemy were in such a consternation,that they made not the least stand, and, in their flight, vastnumbers were slain. They lost above 10,000 men, and their camp wastaken. As for Mithridates, he broke through the Romans with 800horses, in the beginning of the engagement. That corps, however,did not follow him far before they dispersed, and left him withonly three of his people.

The pursuit of Mithridates was attended with great difficulties;for he concealed himself among the nations settled about theBosphorus and the Palus Maeotis. Besides, news was brought toPompey that the Albanians had revolted, and taken up arms again.The desire of revenge determined him to march back, and chastisethem. But it was with infinite trouble and danger that he passedthe Cyrnus again, the barbarians having fenced it on their sidewith palisades all along the banks. And when he was over, he had alarge country to traverse, which afforded no water. This lastdifficulty he provided against by filling 10,000 bottles; andpursuing his march, he found the enemy drawn up on the banks ofthe river Abas, to the number of 60,000 foot and 12,000 horse, butmany of them ill-armed, and provided with nothing of the defensivekind but skins of beasts.

They were commanded by the king's brother, named Cosis; who, atthe beginning of the battle, singled out Pompey, and rushing inupon him, struck his javelin into the joints of his breastplate.Pompey in return run him through with his spear, and laid him deadon the spot. It is said that the Amazons came to the assistance ofthe barbarians from the mountains near the river Thermodon, andfought in this battle. The Romans, among the plunder of the field,did, indeed, meet with bucklers in the form of a half-moon, andsuch buskins as the Amazons wore; but there was not the body of awoman found among the dead. They inhabit that part of MountCaucasus which stretches toward the Hyrcanian Sea, and are notnext neighbors to the Albanians; for Gelae and Leges lie between;but they meet that people, and spend two months with them everyyear on the banks of the Thermodon; after which they retire totheir own country.

Pompey had advanced near to Petra, and encamped, and was takingsome exercise on horseback without the trenches, when messengersarrived from Pontus; and it was plain they brought good news,because the points of their spears were crowned with laurel. Thesoldiers seeing this, gathered about Pompey, who was inclined tofinish his exercise before he opened the packet; but they were soearnest in their entreaties, that they prevailed upon him toalight and take it. He entered the camp with it in his hand; andas there was no tribunal ready, and the soldiers were tooimpatient to raise one of turf, which the common method, theypiled a number of pack-saddles one upon the other, upon whichPompey mounted, and gave them this information: "Mithridates isdead. He killed himself upon the revolt of his son Pharnaces. AndPharnaces has seized all that belonged to his father; which hedeclares he has done for himself and Romans."

At this news the army, as might be expected, gave a loose rein totheir joy, which they expressed in sacrifices to the gods, and inreciprocal entertainments, as if 10,000 of their enemies had beenslain in Mithridates. Pompey having thus brought the campaign andthe whole war to a conclusion so happy, and so far beyond hishopes, immediately quitted Arabia, traverses the provinces betweenthat and Galatia with great rapidity, and soon arrived at Amisus.There he found many presents from Pharnaces, and several corpsesof the royal family, among which was that of Mithridates. As forPompey, he would not see the body, but to propitiate the avengingNemesis, sent it to Sinope. However, he looked upon and admiredthe magnificence of his habit, and the size and beauty of hisarms. The scabbard of his sword cost four hundred talents, and thediadem was of most exquisite workmanship.

Pompey having thoroughly settled the affairs of Asia, hoped toreturn to Italy the greatest and happiest of men.

People talked variously at Rome concerning his intentions. Manydisturbed themselves at the thought that he would march with hisarmy immediately to Rome and make himself sole and absolute masterthere. Crassus took his children and money, and withdrew; whetherit was that he had some real apprehensions, or rather that hechose to countenance the calumny, and add force to the sting ofenvy; the latter seems the more probable. But Pompey had no soonerset foot in Italy, than he called an assembly of his soldiers,and, after a kind and suitable address, ordered them to dispersein their respective cities, and attend to their own affairs tillhis triumph, on which occasion they were to repair to him again.

Pompey's triumph was so great, that though it was divided into twodays, the time was far from being sufficient for displaying whatwas prepared to be carried in procession; there remained stillenough to adorn another triumph. At the head of the show appearedthe titles of the conquered nations: Pontus, Armenia, Cappadocia,Paphlagonia, Media, Colchis, the Iberians, the Albanians, Syria,Cilicia, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Palestine, Judaea, Arabia, thepirates subdued both by sea and land. In these countries, it wasmentioned that there were not less than 1,000 castles and 900cities captured, 800 galleys taken from the pirates, and 39desolate cities repeopled. On the face of the tablets it appearedbesides, that whereas the revenues of the Roman empire beforethese conquests amounted but to 50,000,000 drachmas, by the newacquisitions they were advanced to 85,000,000; and that Pompey hadbrought into the public treasury in money, and in gold and silvervessels, the value of 20,000 talents; besides what he haddistributed among the soldiers, of whom he that received least had1,500 drachmas to his share. The captives who walked in theprocession (not the mention the chiefs of the pirates) were theson of Tigranes, king of Armenia, together with his wife anddaughter; Zosima, the wife of Tigranes himself; Aristobulus, kingof Judaea; the sister of Mithridates, with her five sons, and someScythian women. The hostages of the Albanians and Iberians, and ofthe king of Commagene also appeared in the train; and as manytrophies were exhibited as Pompey had gained victories, either inperson or by his lieutenants, the number of which was not small.

But the most honorable circumstance, and what no other Roman couldboast, was that his third triumph was over the third quarter ofthe world, after his former triumphs had been over the other two.Others before him had been honored with three triumphs; but hisfirst triumph was over Africa, his second over Europe, and histhird over Asia; so that the three seemed to declare him conquerorof the world.

Those who desire to make the parallel between him and Alexanderagree in all respects, tell us he was at this time not quitethirty-four, whereas, in fact, he was entering upon his fortiethyear. (It should be the forty-sixth year. Pompey was born in thebeginning of the month of August, in the year of Rome 647, and histriumph was in the same month in the year of Rome 692.) Happy ithad been for him, if he had ended his days while he was blessedwith Alexander's good fortune! The rest of his life, everyinstance of success brought its proportion of envy, and everymisfortune was irretrievable.

In the meantime the wars in Gaul lifted Caesar to the first sphereof greatness. The scene of action was at a great distance fromRome, and he seemed to be wholly engaged with the Belgae, theSuevi, and the Britons; but his genius all the while was privatelyat work among the people of Rome, and he was undermining Pompey inhis most essential interests. His war with the barbarians was nothis principal object. He exercised his army, indeed, in thoseexpeditions, as he would have done his own body, in hunting andother diversions of the field, by which he prepared them forhigher conflicts, and rendered them not only formidable butinvincible.

The gold and silver, and other rich spoils which he took from theenemy in great abundance, he sent to Rome; and by distributingthem freely among the aediles, praetors, consuls, and their wives,he gained a great party. Consequently when he passed the Alps andwintered at Lucca, among the crowd of men and women, who hastenedto pay their respects to him, there were two hundred senators,Pompey and Crassus of the number; and there were no fewer than onehundred and twenty proconsuls and praetors, whose faces were to beseen at the gates of Caesar. He made it his business in general togive them hopes of great things, and his money was at theirdevotion; but he entered into a treaty with Crassus and Pompey, bywhich it was agreed that they should apply for the consulship, andthat Caesar should assist them, by sending a great number of hissoldiers to vote at the election. As soon as they were chosen,they were to share the provinces, and take the command of armies,according to their pleasure, only confirming Caesar in thepossession of what he had for five years more.

Crassus, upon the expiration of his consulship, repaired to hisprovince. Pompey remaining at Rome, opened his theatre; and tomake the dedication more magnificent, exhibited a variety ofgymnastic games, entertainments of music, and battles with wildbeasts, in which were killed 500 lions; but the battle ofelephants afforded the most astonishing spectacle. (Dio says theelephants fought with armed men. There were no less than eighteenof them; and he adds, that some of them seemed to appeal, withpiteous cries to the people; who, in compassion, saved theirlives. If we may believe him, an oath had been taken before theyleft Africa, that no injury should be done them.) These thingsgained him the love and admiration of the public; but he incurredtheir displeasure again, by leaving his provinces and armiesentirely to his friends and lieutenants, and roving about Italywith his wife from one villa to another. The strong attachment ofJulia appeared on the occasion of an election of aediles. Thepeople came to blows, and some were killed so near Pompey that hewas covered with blood, and forced to change his clothes. Therewas a great crowd and tumult about his door, when his servantswent home with a bloody robe; and Julia, happening to see it,fainted away and was with difficulty restored. Shortly after Juliadied, and the alliance which had rather covered than restrainedthe ambition of the two great competitors for power was now nomore. To add to the misfortune, news was brought soon after thatCrassus was slain by the Parthians; and in him another greatobstacle to a civil war was removed. Out of fear of him, they hadboth kept some measures with each other. But when fortune hadcarried off the champion who could take up the conqueror, we maysay with the comic poet--

High spirits of empriseElates each chief; they oil their brawny limbs,and dip their hands in dust.

So little able is fortune to fill the capacities of the humanmind; when such a weight of power, and extent of command, couldnot satisfy the ambition of two men. They had heard and read thatthe gods had divided the universe into three shares,(Plutarch alludes here to a passage in the fifteenth book of theIliad,where Neptune says to Iris--Assign'd by lot our triple rule we know;Infernal Pluto sways the shades below;O'er the wide clouds, and o'er the starry plain,Ethereal Jove extends his high domain;My court beneath the hoary waves I keep,And hush the roarings of the sacred deep.)

and each was content with that which fell to his lot, and yetthese men could not think the Roman empire sufficient for two ofthem. Such anarchy and confusion took place that numbers began totalk boldly of setting up a dictator. Cato, now fearing he shouldbe overborne, was of opinion that it were better to give Pompeysome office whose authority was limited by law, than to intrusthim with absolute power. Bibulus, though Pompey's declared enemy,moved in full senate, that he should be appointed sole consul."For by that means," said he, "the commonwealth will eitherrecover from her disorder, or, if she must serve, will serve a manof the greatest merit." The whole house was surprised at themotion; and when Cato rose up, it was expected he would oppose it.A profound silence ensued, and he said, he should never have beenthe first to propose such an expedient, but as it was proposed byanother, he thought it advisable to embrace it; for he thought anykind of government better than anarchy, and knew no man fitter torule than Pompey, in a time of so much trouble. The senate cameinto his opinion, and a decree was issued, that Pompey should beappointed sole consul, and that if he should have need of acolleague, he might choose one himself, provided it were notbefore the expiration of two months.

Pompey being declared sole consul by the Interrex Sulpitius, madehis compliments to Cato, acknowledged himself much indebted to hissupport, and desired his advice and assistance in the cabinet, asto the measures to be pursued in his administration. Cato madeanswer, that Pompey was not under the least obligation to him; forwhat he had said was not out of regard to him, but to his country."If you apply to me," continued he, "I shall give you my advice inprivate; if not, I shall inform you of my sentiments in public."Such was Cato, and the same on all occasions.

Pompey then went into the city, and married Cornelia, the daughterof Metellus Scipio. She was a widow, having been married, whenvery young, to Publius the son of Crassus, who was lately killedin the Parthian expedition. This woman had many charms beside herbeauty. She was well versed in polite literature; she played uponthe lyre, and understood geometry; and she had made considerableimprovements by the precepts of philosophy. What is more, she hadnothing of that petulance and affectation which such studies areapt to produce in women of her age. And her father's family andreputation were unexceptionable.

Pompey's confidence made him so extremely negligent, that helaughed at those who seemed to fear the war. And when they said ifCaesar should advance in a hostile manner to Rome, they did notsee what forces they had to oppose him, he bade them, with an openand smiling countenance, give themselves no pain: "For, if inItaly," said he, "I do but stamp upon the ground, an army willappear."

Meantime Caesar was exerting himself greatly. He was now at nogreat distance from Italy, and not only sent his soldiers to votein the elections, but by private pecuniary applications, corruptedmany of the magistrates. Paulus the consul was of the number, andhe had one thousand five hundred talents for changing sides. Soalso was Curio, one of the tribunes of the people, for whom hepaid off an immense debt, and Mark Antony, who, out of friendshipfor Curio, had stood engaged with him for the debt.

It is said, that when one of Caesar's officers, who stood beforethe senate-house, waiting the issue of the debates, was informedthat they would not give Caesar a longer term in his command, helaid his hand on his sword, and said, "But this shall give it."Indeed, all the preparations of his general tended that way;though Curio's demands in behalf of Caesar seemed more plausible.He proposed, that either Pompey should likewise be obliged todismiss his forces, or Caesar suffered to keep his. "If they areboth reduced to a private station," said he, "they will agree uponreasonable terms; or, if each retains his respective power, theywill be satisfied. But he who weakens the one, without doing thesame by the other, must double that force which he fears willsubvert the government."

But now news was brought that Caesar was marching directly towardsRome with all his forces. The last circumstance, indeed, was nottrue. He advanced with only three hundred horse and five thousandfoot; the rest of his forces were on the other side of the Alps,and he would not wait for them, choosing rather to put hisadversaries in confusion by a sudden and unexpected attack, thanto fight them when better prepared. When he came to the riverRubicon, which was the boundary of his province, he stood silent along time, weighing with himself the greatness of his enterprise.At last, like one who plunges down from the top of a precipiceinto a gulf of immense depth, he silenced his reason, and shut hiseyes against the danger; and crying out in the Greek language,"The die is cast," he marched over with his army.

Upon the first report of this at Rome, the city was in greaterdisorder and astonishment than had ever been known.

All Italy was in motion, with the stir of the coming storm. Thosewho lived out of Rome fled to it from all quarters, and those wholived in it abandoned it as fast. These saw, that in such atempestuous and disorderly state of affairs, the well disposedpart of the city wanted strength, and that the ill disposed wereso refractory that they could not be managed by the magistrates.The terrors of the people could not be removed, and no one wouldsuffer Pompey to lay a plan of action for himself. According tothe passion wherewith each was actuated, whether fear, sorrow, ordoubt, they endeavored to inspire him with the same; insomuch thathe adopted different measures the same day. He could gain nocertain intelligence of the enemy's motions, because every manbrought him the report he happened to take up, and was angry if itdid not meet with credit.

Pompey at last caused it to be declared by a formal edict, thatthe commonwealth was in danger, and no peace was to be expected.After which, he signified that he should look upon those whoremained in the city as the partisans of Caesar; and then quittedit in the dusk of the evening. The consuls also fled, withoutoffering the sacrifices which their customs required before a war.However, in this great extremity, Pompey could not but beconsidered as happy in the affections of his countrymen. Thoughmany blamed the war, there was not a man who hated the general.Nay, the number of those who followed him, out of attachment tohis person, was greater than that of the adventurers in the causeof liberty.

A few days after, Caesar arrived at Rome. When he was inpossession of the city, he behaved with great moderation in manyrespects, and composed in a good measure the minds of itsremaining inhabitants.

Pompey, who was the master of Brundusium, and had a sufficientnumber of transports, desired the consuls to embark without lossof time, and sent them before him with thirty cohorts toDyrrhachium. But at the same time he sent his father-in-law Scipioand his son Cnaeus into Syria, to provide ships of war. He hadwell secured the gates of the city, and planted the lightest ofhis slingers and archers upon the walls; and having now orderedthe Brundusians to keep within doors, he caused a number oftrenches to be cut, and sharp stakes to be driven into them, andthen covered with earth, in all the streets, except two which leddown to the sea. In three days all his other troops were embarkedwithout interruption; and then he suddenly gave the signal tothose who guarded the walls; in consequence of which, they ranswiftly down to the harbor, and got on board. Thus having hiswhole complement, he set sail, and crossed the sea to Dyrrhachium.

When Caesar came and saw the walls left destitute of defence, heconcluded that Pompey had taken to flight, and in his eagerness topursue, would certainly have fallen upon the sharp stakes in thetrenches, had not the Brundusians informed him of them. He thenavoided the streets, and took a circuit round the town, by whichhe discovered that all the vessels had weighed anchor, except twothat had not many soldiers aboard.

This manoeuvre of Pompey was commonly reckoned among the greatestact of generalship. Caesar, however, could not help wondering,that his adversary, who was in possession of a fortified town, andexpected his forces from Spain, and at the same time was master ofthem, should give up Italy in such a manner.

Caesar thus made himself master of all Italy in sixty days withoutthe least bloodshed, and he would have been glad to have goneimmediately in pursuit of Pompey. But as he was in want ofshipping, he gave up that design for the present, and marched toSpain, with an intent to gain Pompey's forces there.

In the meantime Pompey assembled a great army; and at sea he wasaltogether invincible. For he had five hundred ships of war, andthe number of his lighter vessels was still greater. As for hisland forces, he had seven thousand horse, the flower of Rome andItaly, all men of family, fortune, and courage. His infantry,though numerous, was a mixture of raw, undisciplined soldiers; hetherefore exercised them during his stay at Beroea, where he wasby no means idle, but went through the exercises of a soldier, asif he had been in the flower of his age. It inspired his troopswith new courage, when they saw Pompey the Great, at the age offifty-eight, going through the whole military discipline, in heavyarmor, on foot; and then mounting his horse, drawing his swordwith ease when at full speed, and as dexterously sheathing itagain. As to the javelin, he threw it not only with greatexactness, but with such force that few of the young men coulddart it to a greater distance.

Many kings and princes repaired to his camp; and the number ofRoman officers who had commanded armies was so great, that it wassufficient to make up a complete senate. Labienus, who had beenhonored with Caesar's friendship, and served under him in Gaul,now joined Pompey.

Caesar had now made himself master of Pompey's forces in Spain,and though it was not without a battle, he dismissed the officers,and incorporated the troops with his own. After this, he passedthe Alps again, and marched through Italy to Brundusium, where hearrived at the time of the winter solstice. There he crossed thesea, and landed at Oricum; from whence he dispatched Vibullius,one of Pompey's friends, whom he had brought prisoner thither,with proposals of a conference between him and Pompey, in whichthey should agree to disband their armies within three days, renewtheir friendship, confirm it with solemn oath, and then bothreturn to Italy. Pompey took this overture for another snare, andtherefore drew down in haste to the sea, and secured all the fortsand places of strength for land forces, as well as all the portsand other commodious stations for shipping; so that there was nota wind that blew, which did not bring him either provisions, ortroops, or money. On the other hand, Caesar was reduced to suchstraits, both by sea and land, that he was under the necessity ofseeking a battle. Accordingly, he attacked Pompey's intrenchments,and bade him defiance daily. In most of these attacks andskirmishes he had the advantage; but one day was in danger oflosing his whole army. Pompey fought with so much valor, that heput Caesar's whole detachment to flight, after having killed twothousand men upon the spot; but was either unable or afraid topursue his blow, and enter their camp with them. Caesar said tohis friends on this occasion, "This day the victory had been theenemy's had their general known how to conquer."

Pompey's troops, elated with this success, were in great haste tocome to a decisive battle. Nay, Pompey himself seemed to give into their opinions by writing to the kings, the generals, andcities, in his interest, in the style of a conqueror. Yet all thiswhile he dreaded the issue of a general action, believing it muchbetter, by length of time, by famine and fatigue, to tire out menwho had been ever invincible in arms, and long accustomed toconquer when they fought together. Besides, he knew theinfirmities of age had made them unfit for the other operations ofwar, for long marches and countermarches, for digging trenches andbuilding forts, and that, therefore, they wished for nothing somuch as a battle. Pompey, with all these arguments, found it noeasy matter to keep his army quiet.

After this last engagement, Caesar was in such want of provisions,that he was forced to decamp, and he took his way throughAthamania into Thessaly. This added so much to the high opinionPompey's soldiers had of themselves, that it was impossible tokeep them within bounds. They cried out with one voice, "Caesar isfled." Some called upon the general to pursue; some to pass overinto Italy. Others sent their friends and servants to Rome, toengage homes near the forum, for the convenience of soliciting thegreat offices of state. And not a few went of their own accord toCornelia, who had been privately lodged in Lesbos, to congratulateher upon the conclusion of the war.

While he thus softly followed the enemy's steps, a complaint wasraised against him, and urged with much clamor, that he was notexercising his generalship upon Caesar, but upon the Senate andthe whole commonwealth, in order that he might forever keep thecommand in his hands, and have those for his guards and servantswho had a right to govern the world. Domitius Aenobarbus, toincrease the odium, always called him Agamemnon, or king of kings.Favonius piqued him no less with a jest, than others by theirunseasonable severity; he went about crying, "My friends, we shalleat no figs in Tusculum this year."

These and many other like sallies of ridicule had such an effectupon Pompey, who was ambitious of being spoken well of by theworld, and had too much deference for the opinions of his friends,that he gave up his own better judgment, to follow them in thecareer of their false hopes and prospects. A thing which wouldhave been unpardonable in the pilot or master of a ship, much morein the commander-in-chief of so many nations and such numerousarmies. He had often commended the physician who gives noindulgence to the whimsical longings of his patients, and yet hehumored the sickly cravings of his army, and was afraid to givethem pain, though necessary for the preservation of their life andbeing. For who can say that army was in a sound and healthy state,when some of the officers went about the camp canvassing for theoffices of consul and praetor; and others, namely, Spinther,Domitius, and Scipio, were engaged in quarrels and cabals aboutCaesar's high-priesthood, as if their adversary had been only aTigranes, a king of Armenia, or a prince of the Nabathaeans; andnot that Caesar and that army who had stormed one thousand cities,subdued above three hundred nations, gained numberless battles ofthe Germans and Gauls, taken one million prisoners, and killed asmany fairly in the field. Notwithstanding all this, they continuedloud and tumultuous in their demands of a battle; and when theycame to the plains of Pharsalia, forced Pompey to call a councilof war. Lebienus, who had the command of the cavalry, rose upfirst, and took an oath, that he would not return from the battle,till he had put the enemy to flight. All the other officers sworethe same.

The night following, Pompey had this dream. He thought he enteredhis own theatre, and was received with loud plaudits; after which,he adorned the temple of Venus the Victorious with many spoils.This vision, on one side, encouraged him, and on the other alarmedhim. He was afraid that Caesar, who was a descendant of Venus,would be aggrandized at his expense. Besides, a panic (A Panic wasso called, from the terror which the god Pan is said to havestruck the enemies of Greece with, at the battle of Marathon.)fear ran through the camp, the noise of which awakened him. Andabout the morning watch, over Caesar's camp, where everything wasperfectly quiet, there suddenly appeared a great light, from whicha stream of fire issued in the form of a torch, and fell upon thatof Pompey. Caesar himself says he saw it as he was going hisrounds.

Caesar was preparing, at break of day, to march to Scotusa; hissoldiers were striking their tents, and the servants and beasts ofburden were already in motion, when his scouts broughtintelligence that they had seen arms handed about in the enemy'scamp, and perceived a noise and bustle, which indicated anapproaching battle. After these, others came and assured him thatthe first ranks were drawn up.

Upon this Caesar said: "The long-wished day is come, on which weshall fight with men, and not with want and famine." Then heimmediately ordered the red mantle to be put up before hispavilion, which, among the Romans, is the signal of a battle. Thesoldiers no sooner beheld it, than they left their tents as theywere, and ran to arms with loud shouts, and every expression ofjoy. And when the officers began to put them in order of battle,each man fell into his proper rank as quietly, and with as muchskill and ease, as a chorus in a tragedy.

Pompey placed himself in his right wing over against Antony, andhis father-in-law, Scipio, in the centre, opposite DomitiusCalvinus. His left wing was commanded by Lucius Domitius, andsupported by the cavalry; for they were almost all ranged on thatside, in order to break in upon Caesar, and cut off the tenthlegion, which was accounted the bravest in his army, and in whichhe used to fight in person. Caesar, seeing the enemy's left wingso well guarded with horse, and fearing the excellence of theirarmor, sent for a detachment of six cohorts from the body of thereserve, and placed them behind the tenth legion, with orders notto stir before the attack, lest they should be discovered by theenemy; but when the enemy's cavalry had charged, to make upthrough the foremost ranks, and then not to discharge theirjavelins at a distance, as brave men generally do in theireagerness to come to sword in hand, but to reserve them till theycame to close fighting, and to push them forward into the eyes andfaces of the enemy. "For those fair young dancers," said he, "willnever stand the steel aimed at their eyes, but will fly to savetheir handsome faces."

While Caesar was thus employed, Pompey took a view on horseback ofthe order of both armies; and finding that they enemy kept theirranks with the utmost exactness, and quietly waited for the signalof battle, while his own men, for want of experience, werefluctuating and unsteady, he was afraid they would be broken up onthe first onset. He therefore commanded the vanguard to stand firmin their ranks, and in that close order to receive the enemy'scharge. Caesar condemned this measure, as not only tending tolessen the vigor of the blows, which is always greatest in theassailants, but also to damp the fire and spirit of the men;whereas those who advance with impetuosity, and animate each otherwith shouts, are filled with an enthusiastic valor and superiorardor.

Caesar's army consisted of twenty-two thousand men, and Pompey'swas something more than twice that number. When the signal wasgiven on both sides, and the trumpets sounded a charge, eachcommon man attended only to his own concern. But some of theprincipal Romans and Greeks, who only stood and looked on, whenthe dreadful moment of action approached, could not helpconsidering to what the avarice and ambition of two men hadbrought the Roman Empire. The same arms on both sides, the troopsmarshalled in the same manner, the same standards; in short, thestrength and flower of one and the same city turned upon itself!What could be a stronger proof of the blindness and infatuation ofhuman nature, when carried away by its passions? Had they beenwilling to enjoy the fruits of their labors in peace andtranquillity, the greatest and best part of the world was theirown. Or, if they must have indulged their thirst of victories andtriumphs, the Parthians and Germans were yet to be subdued.Scythia and India yet remained; together with a very plausiblecolor for their lust of new acquisitions, the pretence ofcivilizing barbarians. And what Scythian horse, what Parthianarrows, what Indian treasures, could have resisted seventythousand Romans, led on by Pompey and Caesar, with whose namesthose nations had long been acquainted! Into such a variety ofwild and savage countries had these two generals carried theirvictorious arms! Whereas now they stood threatening each otherwith destruction; not sparing even their own glory, though to itthey sacrificed their country, but prepared, one of them, to losethe reputation of being invincible, which hitherto they had bothmaintained. So that the alliance which they had contracted byPompey's marriage to Julia, was from the first only an artfulexpedient; and her charms were to form a self-interested compact,instead of being the pledge of a sincere friendship.

The plain of Pharsalia was now covered with men, and horses andarms; and the signal of battle being given on both sides, thefirst on Caesar's side who advanced to the charge was CaiusCrastinus, who commanded a corps of one hundred and twenty men,and was determined to make good his promise to his general. He wasthe first man Caesar saw when he went out of the trenches in themorning; and upon Caesar's asking him what he thought of thebattle, he stretched out his hand, and answered in a cheerfultone, "You will gain a glorious victory, and I shall have yourpraise this day, either alive or dead." In pursuance of thispromise, he advanced the foremost, and many following to supporthim, he charged into the midst of the enemy. They soon took totheir swords, and numbers were slain; but as Crastinus was makinghis way forward, and cutting down all before him, one of Pompey'smen stood to receive him, and pushed his sword in at his mouthwith such force, that it went through the nape of his neck.Crastinus thus killed, the fight was maintained with equaladvantage on both sides.

Pompey did not immediately lead on his right wing, but oftendirected his eyes to the left, and lost time in waiting to seewhat execution his cavalry would do there. Meanwhile they hadextended their squadrons to surround Caesar, and prepared to drivethe few horse he had placed in front, back upon the foot. At thatinstant Caesar gave the signal; upon which his cavalry retreated alittle; and the six cohorts, which consisted of 3000 men, and hadbeen placed behind the tenth legion, advanced to surround Pompey'scavalry; and coming close up to them, raised the points of theirjavelins, as they had been taught, and aimed them at the face.Their adversaries, who were not experienced in any kind offighting, and had not the least previous idea of this, could notparry or endure the blows upon their faces, but turned theirbacks, or covered their eyes with their hands, and soon fled withgreat dishonor. Caesar's men took no care to pursue them, butturned their force upon the enemy's infantry, particularly uponthat wing, which, now stripped of its horse, lay open to theattack on all sides. The six cohorts, therefore, took them inflank, while the tenth legion charged them in front; and they, whohad hoped to surround the enemy, and now, instead of that, sawthemselves surrounded, made but a short resistance, and then tookto a precipitate flight.

By the great dust that was raised, Pompey conjectured the fate ofhis cavalry; and it is hard to say what passed in his mind at thatmoment. He appeared like a man moonstruck and distracted; andwithout considering that he was Pompey the Great, or speaking toany one, he quitted the ranks, and retired step by step toward hiscamp--a scene which cannot be better painted than in these versesof Homer: (In the eleventh book of the Iliad, where he is speakingof the flight of Ajax before Hector.)

But partial Jove, espousing Hector's part,Shot heaven-bred horror through the Grecian's heart;Confused, unnerv'd in Hector's presence grown,Amazed he stood with terrors not his own.O'er his broad back his moony shield he threw,And, glaring round, by tardy steps withdrew.

In this condition he entered his tent, where he sat down, anduttered not a word, till at last, upon finding that some of theenemy entered the camp with the fugitives, he said, "What! Into mycamp, too!" After this short exclamation, he rose up, and dressinghimself in a manner suitable to his fortune, privately withdrew.All the other legions fled; and a great slaughter was made in thecamp, of the servants and others who had the care of the tents.But Asinius Pollio, who then fought on Caesar's side, assures us,that of the regular troops there were not above six thousand menkilled. (Caesar says, that in all there were fifteen thousandkilled, and twenty-four thousand taken prisoners.)

Upon the taking of the camp, there was a spectacle which showed,in strong colors, the vanity and folly of Pompey's troops. All thetents were crowned with myrtle; the beds were strewn with flowers;the tables covered with cups, and bowls of wine set out. In short,everything had the appearance of preparations for feasts andsacrifices, rather than for men going out to battle. To such adegree had their vain hopes corrupted them, and with such asenseless confidence they took to the field!

When Pompey had got at a little distance from the camp, he quittedhis horse. He had very few people about him; and, as he saw he wasnot pursued, he went softly on, wrapped up in such thoughts as wemay suppose a man to have, who had been used for thirty-four yearsto conquer and carry all before him, and now in his old age firstcame to know what it was to be defeated and to fly. We may easilyconjecture what his thoughts must be, when in one short hour hehad lost the glory and the power which had been growing up amidstso many wars and conflicts; and he who was lately guarded withsuch armies of horse and foot, and such great and powerful fleets,was reduced to so mean and contemptible an equipage, that hisenemies, who were in search of him, could not know him.

He passed by Larissa, and came to Tempe, where, burning withthirst, he threw himself upon his face, and drank out of theriver; after which, he passed through the valley, and went down tothe sea-coast. There he spent the remainder of the night in a poorfisherman's cabin. Next morning, about break of day, he went onboard a small river-boat, taking with him such of his company aswere freemen. The slaves he dismissed, bidding them go to Caesar,and fear nothing.

As he was coasting along, he saw a whip of burden just ready tosail; the master of which was Peticius, a Roman citizen, who,though not acquainted with Pompey, knew him by sight. Therefore,without waiting for any further application, he took him up, andsuch of his companions as he thought proper, and then hoistedsail. The persons Pompey took with him, were the two Lentuli andFavonius; and a little after, they saw king Deiotarus beckoning tothem with great earnestness from the shore, and took him uplikewise. The master of the ship provided them with the bestsupper he could, and when it was almost ready, Pompey, for want ofa servant, was going to wash himself, but Favonius, seeing it,stepped up, and both washed and anointed him. All the time he wason board, he continued to wait upon him in all the offices of aservant, even to the washing of his feet and providing his supper;insomuch, that one who saw the unaffected simplicity and sincereattachment with which Favonius performed these offices, cried out--

Pompey, in the course of his voyage, sailed by Amphipolis, andfrom thence steered for Mitylene, to take up Cornelia and his son.As soon as he reached the island, he sent a messenger to the townwith news far different from what Cornelia expected. For, by theflattering accounts which many officious persons had given her,she understood that the dispute was decided at Dyrrhachium, andthat nothing but the pursuit of Caesar remained to be attended to.The messenger, finding her possessed with such hopes, had notpower to make the usual salutations; but expressing the greatnessof Pompey's misfortunes by his tears rather than words, only toldher she must make haste if she had a mind to see Pompey with oneship only, and that not his own.

At this news Cornelia threw herself upon the ground, where she laya long time insensible and speechless. At last, coming to herself,she perceived there was no time to be lost in tears andlamentations, and therefore hastened through the town to the sea.Pompey ran to meet her, and received her to his arms as she wasjust going to fall. While she hung upon his neck, she thusaddressed him: "I see, my dear husband, your present unhappycondition is the effect of my ill fortune, and not yours. Alas!how are you reduced to one poor vessel, who, before your marriagewith Cornelia, traversed the sea with 500 galleys! Why did youcome to see me, and not rather leave me to my evil destiny, whohave loaded you, too, with such a weight of calamities? How happyhad it been for me to have died before I heard that Publius, myfirst husband, was killed by the Parthians! How wise, had Ifollowed him to the grave, as I once intended! What have I livedfor since, but to bring misfortunes upon Pompey the Great?"

Such, we are assured, was the speech of Cornelia; and Pompeyanswered: "Till this moment, Cornelia, you have experiencednothing but the smiles of fortune; and it was she who deceivedyou, because she stayed with me longer than she commonly does withher favorites. But, fated as we are, we must bear this reverse,and make another trial of her. For it is no more improbable thatwe may emerge from this poor condition and rise to great thingsagain, than it was that we should fall from great things into thispoor condition."

Cornelia then sent to the city for her most valuable movables andher servants.

As soon as his wife and his friends were embarked, he set sail,and continued his course without touching at any port, except forwater and provisions, till he came to Attalia, a city ofPamphylia. There he was joined by some Cilician galleys; andbeside picking up a number of soldiers, he found in a little timesixty senators about him. When he was informed that his fleet wasstill entire, and that Cato was gone to Africa with a considerablebody of men which he had collected after their flight, he lamentedto his friends his great error, in suffering himself to be forcedinto an engagement on land, and making no use of those forces, inwhich he was confessedly stronger; nor even taking care to fightnear his fleet, that, in case of his meeting with a check on land,he might have been supplied from the sea with another army,capable of making head against the enemy. Indeed, we find nogreater mistake in Pompey's whole conduct, nor a more remarkableinstance of Caesar's generalship, than in removing the scene ofaction to such a distance from the naval force.

However, as it was necessary to undertake something with the smallmeans he had left, he sent to some cities, and sailed to othershimself, to raise money, and to get a supply of men for his ships.But knowing the extraordinary celerity of the enemy's motions, hewas afraid he might be beforehand with him, and seize all that hewas preparing. He, therefore, began to think of retiring to someasylum, and proposed the matter in council. They could not thinkof any province in the Roman empire that would afford a saferetreat; and when they cast their eyes on the foreign kingdoms,Pompey mentioned Parthia as the most likely to receive and protectthem in their present weak condition, and afterwards to send themback with a force sufficient to retrieve their affairs. Otherswere of opinion it was proper to apply to Africa, and to Juba inparticular. But Theophanes of Lesbos observed it was madness toleave Egypt, which was distant but three days' sail. Besides,Ptolemy, who was growing towards manhood, had particularobligations to Pompey on his father's account. As so it wasdetermined that they should seek for refuge in Egypt. Beinginformed that Ptolemy was with his army at Pelusium, where he wasengaged in war with his sister, he proceeded thither, and sent amessenger before him to announce his arrival, and to entreat theking's protection.

Ptolemy was very young, fourteen years of age, and Photinus, hisprime minister, called a council of his ablest officers; thoughtheir advice had no more weight than he was pleased to allow it.He ordered each, however, to give his opinion. But who can,without indignation, consider that the fate of Pompey the Greatwas to be determined by the wretch Photinus, by Theodotus, a manof Chios, who was hired to teach the prince rhetoric, and byAchillas, an Egyptian? For among the king's chamberlains andtutors these had the greatest influence over him and were thepersons he most consulted. Pompey lay at anchor at some distancefrom the place waiting the determination of this respectableboard; while he thought it beneath him to be indebted to Caesarfor his safety. The council were divided in their opinions, someadvising the prince to give him an honorable reception, and othersto send him an order to depart. But Theodotus, to display hiseloquence, insisted that both were wrong. "If you receive him,"said he, "you will have Caesar for your enemy, and Pompey for yourmaster. If you order him off, Pompey may one day revenge theaffront and Caesar resent your not having put him in his hands:the best method, therefore, is to send for him and put him todeath. By this means you will do Caesar a favor, and have nothingto fear from Pompey." He added with a smile, "Dead men do notbite."

This advice being approved of, the execution of it was committedto Achillas. In consequence of which he took with him Septimius,who had formerly been one of Pompey's officers, and Salvius, whohad also acted under him as a centurion, with three or fourassistants, and made up to Pompey's ship, where his principalfriends and officers had assembled to see how the affair went on.When they perceived there was nothing magnificent in theirreception, nor suitable to the hopes which Theophanes hadconceived, but that a few men only in a fishing-boat came to waitupon them, such want of respect appeared a suspiciouscircumstance, and they advised Pompey, while he was out of thereach of missive weapons, to get out to the main sea.

Meantime, the boat approaching, Septimius spoke first, addressingPompey in Latin by the title of Imperator. Then Achillas salutedhim in Greek, and desired him to come into the boat, because thewater was very shallow towards the shore, and a galley must strikeupon the sands. At the same time they saw several of the king'sships getting ready, and the shore covered with troops, so that ifthey would have changed their minds it was then too late; besides,their distrust would have furnished the assassins with a pretencefor their injustice. He therefore embraced Cornelia, who lamentedhis sad exit before it happened; and ordered two centurions, oneof his enfranchised slaves, named Philip, and a servant calledScenes, to get into the boat before him. When Achillas had hold ofhis hand, and he was going to step in himself, he turned to hiswife and son, and repeated that verse of Sophocles--

Seek'st thou a tyrant's door? Then farewell freedom!Though FREE as air before.

These were the last words he spoke to them.

As there was a considerable distance between the galley and theshore, and he observed that not a man in the boat showed him theleast civility, or even spoke to him, he looked at Septimius, andsaid, "Methinks, I remember you to have been my fellow-soldier;"but he answered only with a nod, without testifying any regard orfriendship. A profound silence again taking place, Pompey took outa paper, in which he had written a speech in Greek that hedesigned to make to Ptolemy, and amused himself with reading it.

When they approached the shore, Cornelia, with her friends in thegalley, watched the event with great anxiety. She was a littleencouraged, when she saw a number of the king's great officerscoming down to the strand, in all appearance to receive herhusband and do him honor. But the moment Pompey was taking hold ofPhilip's hand, to raise him with more ease, Septimius came behind,and ran him through the body; after which Salvius and Achillasalso drew their swords. Pompey took his robe in both hands andcovered his face, and without saying or doing the least thingunworthy of him, submitted to his fate, only uttering a groan,while they despatched him with many blows. He was then just fifty-nine years old, for he was killed the day after his birthday.

Cornelia, and her friends in the galley, upon seeing him murdered,gave a shriek that was heard to the shore, and weighed anchorimmediately. Their flight was assisted by a brisk gale, as theygot out more to sea; so that the Egyptians gave up their design ofpursuing them. The murderers having cut off Pompey's head, threwthe body out of the boat naked, and left it exposed to all whowere desirous of such a sight. Philip stayed till their curiositywas satisfied, and then washed the body with sea-water, andwrapped it in one of his own garments, because he had nothing elseat hand. The next thing was to look out for wood for the funeralpile; and casting his eyes over the shore, he spied the oldremains of a fishing-boat; which, though not large, would make asufficient pile for a poor naked body that was not quite entire.

While he was collecting the pieces of plank and putting themtogether, an old Roman, who had made some of his first campaignsunder Pompey, came up and said to Philip, "Who are you that arepreparing the funeral of Pompey the Great?" Philip answered, "I amhis freedman." "But you shall not," said the old Roman, "have thishonor entirely to yourself. As a work of piety offers itself, letme have a share in it; that I may not absolutely repent my havingpassed so many years in a foreign country; but, to compensate manymisfortunes, may have the consolation of doing some of the lasthonors to the greatest general Rome ever produced." In this mannerwas the funeral of Pompey conducted.

Such was the end of Pompey the Great. As for Caesar, he arrivednot long after in Egypt, which he found in great disorder. Whenthey came to present the head, he turned from it, and the personthat brought it, as a sight of horror. He received the seal, butit was with tears. The device was a lion holding a sword. The twoassassins, Achillas and Photinus, he put to death; and the king,being defeated in battle, perished in the river. Theodotus, therhetorician, escaped the vengeance of Caesar, by leaving Egypt;but he wandered about a miserable fugitive, and was hated whereverhe went. At last, Marcus Brutus, who killed Caesar, found thewretch, in his province of Asia, and put him to death, afterhaving made him suffer the most exquisite tortures. The ashes ofPompey were carried to Cornelia, who buried them in his lands nearAlba. (Langhorne has well remarked that Pompey has, in allappearance, and in all consideration of his character, had lessjustice done him by historians than any other man of his time. Hispopular humanity, his military and political skills, his prudence(which he sometimes unfortunately gave up), his natural braveryand generosity, his conjugal virtues, which (though sometimesimpeached) were both naturally and morally great; his cause, whichwas certainly, in its original interests, the cause of Rome; allthese circumstances entitled him to a more distinguished and morerespectable character than any of his historians have thoughtproper to afford him.)

The Engines of Archimedes from the life of Marcellus

Marcellus now moved with his whole army to Syracuse, and, campingnear the wall, proceeded to attack the city both by land and bysea. The land forces were conducted by Appius: Marcellus, withsixty galleys, each with five rows of oars, furnished with allsorts of arms and missiles, and a huge bridge of planks laid uponeight ships chained together, upon which was carried the engine tocast stones and darts, assaulted the walls, relying on theabundance and magnificence of his preparations, and on his ownprevious glory; all which, however, were, it would seem, buttrifles for Archimedes and his machines.

These machines he had designed and contrived, not as matters ofany importance, but as mere amusements in geometry; in compliancewith King Hiero's desire and request, some little time before,that he should reduce to practice some part of his admirablespeculations in science, and by accommodating the theoreticaltruth to sensation and ordinary use, bring it more within theappreciation of people in general. Eudoxus and Archytas had beenthe originators of this far-famed and highly prized art ofmechanics, which they employed as an elegant illustration ofgeometrical truths, and as a means of sustaining experimentally,to the satisfaction of the senses, conclusions too intricate forproof by words and diagrams. As, for example, to solve theproblem, so often required in constructing geometrical figures,given the two extreme, to find the two mean lines of a proportion,both these mathematicians had recourse to the aid of instruments,adapting to their purpose certain curves and sections of lines.(The 'mesolabes or mesalabium, was the name by which thisinstrument was commonly known.) But what with Plato's indignationat it, and his invectives against it as the mere corruption andannihilation of the one good of geometry,--which was thusshamefully turning its back upon the unembodied objects of pureintelligence to recur to sensation, and to ask help (not to beobtained without haste subservience and depravation) from matter;so it was that mechanics came to be separated from geometry, and,being repudiated and neglected by philosophers, took its place asa military art. Archimedes, however, in writing to King Hiero,whose friend and near relation he was, had stated, that given theforce, any weight might be moved, and even boasted, we are told,relying on the strength of demonstration, that if there wereanother earth, by going into it he could remove this. Hiero beingstruck with amazement at this, and entreating him to make goodthis problem by actual experiment, and show some great weightmoved by a small engine, he fixed accordingly upon a ship ofburden out of the king's arsenal, which could not be drawn out ofthe dock without great labor and many men; and, loading her withmany passengers and a full freight, sitting himself the while faroff, with no great endeavor, but only holding the head of thepulley in his hand and drawing the cord by degrees, he drew theship in a straight line, as smoothly and evenly as if she had beenin the sea. The king, astonished at this, and convinced of thepower of the art, prevailed upon Archimedes to make him enginesaccommodated to all the purposes, offensive and defensive, of asiege. These the king himself never made use of, because he spentalmost all his life in a profound quiet, and the highestinfluence. But the apparatus was, in a most opportune time, readyat hand for the Syracusans, and with it also the engineer himself.

When, therefore, the Romans assaulted the walls in two places atonce, fear and consternation stupefied the Syracusans, believingthat nothing was able to resist that violence and those forces.But when Archimedes began to ply his engines, he at once shotagainst the land forces all sorts of missile weapons, and immensemasses of stone that came down with incredible noise and violence,against which no man could stand; for they knocked down those uponwhom they fell, in heaps, breaking all their ranks and files. Inthe mean time huge poles thrust out from the walls over the ships,sunk some by the great weights which they let down from on highupon them; others they lifted up into the air by an iron hand orbeak like a crane's beak, and, when they had drawn them up by theprow, and set them on end upon the poop, they plunged them to thebottom of the sea; or else the ships, drawn by engines within, andwhirled about, were dashed against steep rocks that stood juttingout under the walls, with great destruction of the soldiers thatwere aboard them. A ship was frequently lifted up to a greatheight in the air (a dreadful thing to behold), and was rolled toand fro, and kept swinging, until the mariners were all thrownout, when at length it was dashed against the rocks, or let fall.In the meantime, Marcellus himself brought up his engine upon thebridge of ships, which was called "Sambuca," from some resemblanceit had to an instrument of music, but while it was as yetapproaching the wall, there was discharged at it a piece of rockof ten talents' weight, then a second and a third, which, strikingupon it with immense force and with a noise like thunder, brokeall its foundations to pieces, shook out all its fastenings, andcompletely dislodged it from the bridge. So Marcellus, doubtfulwhat counsel to pursue, drew off his ships to a safer distance,and sounded a retreat to his forces on land. They then took aresolution of coming up under the walls, if it were possible, inthe night; thinking that as Archimedes used ropes stretched atlength in playing his engines, the soldiers would now be under theshot, and the darts would, for want of sufficient distance tothrow them, fly over their heads without effect. But he, itappeared, had long before framed for such occasion enginesaccommodated to any distance, and shorter weapons; and had madenumerous small openings in the walls, through which, with enginesof a shorter range, unexpected blows were inflicted on theassailants. Thus, when they who thought to deceive the defenderscame close up to the walls, instantly a shower of darts and othermissile weapons was again cast upon them. And when stones cametumbling down perpendicularly upon their heads, and, as it were,the whole wall shot out arrows at them, they retired. And now,again, as they were going off, arrows and darts of a longer rangeinflicted a great slaughter among them, and their ships weredriven one against another; while they themselves were not able toretaliate in any way; for Archimedes had fixed most of his enginesimmediately under the wall. The Romans, seeing that infinitemischiefs overwhelmed them from no visible means, began to thinkthey were fighting with the gods.

Yet Marcellus escaped unhurt, and, deriding his own artificers andengineers, exclaimed "What! Must we give up fighting with thisgeometrical Briareus, who plays pitch and toss with our ships,and, with the multitude of darts which he showers at a singlemoment upon us, really outdoes the hundred-handed giants ofmythology?" The rest of the Syracusans were but the body ofArchimedes' designs, one soul moving and governing all; for,laying aside all other arms, with his alone they infested theRomans, and protected themselves. In fine, when such terror hadseized upon the Romans, that, if they did but see a little rope ora piece of wood from the wall, they instantly cried out, "There itis again! Archimedes is about to let fly another engine at us,"and turned their backs and fled, Marcellus desisted from conflictsand assaults, putting all his hope in a long siege. Yet Archimedespossessed so high a spirit, so profound a soul, and such treasuresof scientific knowledge, that though these inventions had nowobtained him the renown of more than human sagacity, he yet wouldnot deign to leave behind him any commentary or writing on suchsubjects; but, repudiating as sordid and ignoble the whole tradeof engineering, and every sort of art that lends itself to mereuse and profit, he placed his whole affection and ambition inthose purer speculations where there can be no reference to thevulgar needs of life; studies, the superiority of which to allothers is unquestioned, and in which the only doubt can be,whether the beauty and grandeur of the subjects examined, or theprecision and cogency of the methods and means of proof, mostdeserve our admiration. It is not possible to find in all geometrymore difficult and intricate questions, or more simple and lucidexplanations. Some ascribe this to his natural genius; whileothers think that incredible effort and toil produced theseapparently easy and unlabored results. No amount of investigationof yours would succeed in attaining the proof, and yet, once seen,you immediately believe you would have discovered it; by so smoothand so rapid a path he leads you to the conclusion required. Andthus it ceases to be incredible that (as is commonly told of him),the charm of his familiar and domestic Siren made him forget hisfood and neglect his person, to such a degree that when he wasoccasionally carried by absolute violence to bathe, or have hisbody anointed, he used to trace geometrical figures in the ashesof the fire, and diagrams in the oil on his body, being in a stateof entire preoccupation, and, in the truest sense, divinelypossessed with his love and delight in science. His discoverieswere numerous and admirable; and he is said to have requested hisfriends and relations that when he was dead, they would place overhis tomb a cylinder containing a sphere, inscribing it with theratio of three to two which the containing solid bears to thecontained.

Description of Cleopatra from the Life of Antony

When Antony was making preparation for the Parthian war, he sentto command Cleopatra to make her personal appearance in Cilicia,to answer the accusation, that she had given great assistance, inthe late wars, to Cassius. Dellius, who was sent on this message,had no sooner seen her face, and remarked her adroitness andsubtlety in speech, than he felt convinced that Antony would notso much as think of giving any molestation to a woman like this;on the contrary, she would be the first in favor with him. So heset himself at once to pay his court to the Egyptia, and gave herhis advice, "to go," in the Homeric style, to Cilicia, "in herbest attire," and bade her fear nothing from Antony, the gentlestand the kindest of soldiers. She had some faith in the words ofDellius, but more in her own attractions, which, having formerlyrecommended her to Caesar and the young Gnaeus Pompey, she did notdoubt might prove yet more successful with Antony. Theiracquaintance was with her when a girl, young, and ignorant of theworld, but she was to meet Antony in the time of life when women'sbeauty is most splendid, and their intellects are in full